He tried out for Kinston’s junior varsity team as a freshman, and didn’t make it. After playing his sophomore year on JV, he went out for varsity.

Again, he came short.

But this year, as a senior, he made the cut and will visit the 2A basketball championship stage for the first and last time as a Viking when his team takes on North Rowan Saturday in Raleigh.

“You gotta have confidence and keep grinding. If that’s your goal you, gotta keep doing it,” Matthews said about finally making varsity. “It felt like it was a journey, and I accomplished one of my goals. And now, I got another one to accomplish Saturday.”

Kinston (25-5), the two-time defending state champions, will face the Cavaliers (22-5) at Reynolds Coliseum this weekend, with several Vikings returning to the title game.

Each of the Kinston starters have experienced this type of contest at least once.

Matthews, who started in one home game on Senior Night with Kinston’s four other graduating players, said his role is to “get everybody hype. I just love watching my team play.” He’s appeared in 12 games this season.

Kinston coach Perry Tyndall has watched Matthews prove himself over the years.

“He loved it enough to continue to try out every year and this year he made it,” Tyndall said of the senior. “It says a lot. It tells you how much he wants to be a part of it and how special it is. I hope that’s something the guys who play for four years realize: how special it is to play.”

But Matthews’ appreciation for Kinston ball started long before this year. He looked up to former Kinston standouts Reggie Bullock and Josh Dawson and even his current teammate Brandon Ingram.

“A lot of great players came through here,” Matthews said. “It was a struggle (not making the team), that’s why I started playing with Nootsie and Curtis Hines. I was playing with them over the summer, getting right, grinding, so I can play at this level. And now, we’re playing for a state championship.”

Page 2 of 2 - Matthews is ready to go Saturday, noting the highly-anticipated matchup against the west’s seventh-seeded Monarchs.

The game — win or lose — will be a lasting memory for him because he looked forward to playing in the program most of his life.

“It’s different but it’s not so different as far as me looking at it like every other game, ”said Matthews, who looks to attend Fayetteville State University after graduation. “I’m nervous, but I’m ready.”

Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.